Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-07-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, June "a, ]

COrcOran mas recovered SuInc1ent.'
to seek the cooling shades of Dee
Park he being unable to stand tn
fatigue of the trip to his usual resort
the White Sulphur Springs.
For the present the President ha'
discontinued his public receptions
owing probably to the severe ordeal O
such an undertaking, with the ther
mometer dalying with the nineties.
1t has just transpired that during
Mr.. Jay Gould's late mysterious visit
to this city, he really did generous
as patriotic act, for which l wish tC
give him credit. While viewing Mt
Vernon, where Washington's remains
are entombed, Mr.. Gould learning
that tract of land contiguous to the
estate was desired to protect the pro.
perty from encroachment, he or.
dered it brought at his expense fol
$1,000 the owners being Lawrence
and Elizabeth Washington, great
granddaughter and niece of the first
President and presented it to the
ladies of the Mt. Vernon Association.
The grand Jury of the District ol
Columbia have, in their report, pre-
sented the Post Office, Treasury, and
Interior Department buildings as
being in such bad sanitary condition
as to endanger the health and lives of
the several thousand employees Of
those Departments, and the Govern
ment Printing Office, as well as some
OF the theatres, are pronounced moth
ing better than human fre-traps. In
calling the attention of Congress to
the matter, the Grand Jury will say
that if a private individual were re-
sponsible for such a state of affairs as
this, he would be indicted for MAIN
tanning a nuisance. The Building In
spector had this to say on the subject
OF the Printing Office. at is the
worst fire-trap in the United States,
and a disgrace to the Government.
That building is four stories high, 300
feet long and GO feet wide, and IN the
two upper stories about 800 women
work, and yet there is only one stair
way for them to escape by in case of a
fire."
Once more the head of the assassin,
Guiteau, bObs up to public view, and
will be exhibited in New York Mus
cum. 1t is said by those familiar with
the circumstances that there can be
no doubt of the genuineness of this
head. The bones of the assassin were
articulated and placed in the Medical
Museum of the National Capital,
where they still remain, but it now is
divulged, that II doctor severed the
head, and perhaps other portions of
the body, for speculative rather than
scientific purposes.
Pension Commissioner Black has
to exercise the authority vested in
him by law and to restrict the legal
fees in cases of Attorneys for Mexican
Pension-claims to $40, though the
law allows fee OF $25, if such a con-
tract has been made, provided it is
approved by the Commissioner of
Pensions. But, Gen. Black thinks
the former fee is enough in such
cases and has issued an order limiting
fees in these cases to that amount.
The business Of the Interstate Com
mission continues to grow and has
already reached proportions not an
ticipated by its authors or members,
and it is now believed that the work
will require the services of about fifty
clerks. There have been nearly 1000
applications for appointment to clerk
ship, under the Commission. Such
vast and varied interests are commit
ted to the charge of the Commission
that it will soon be rightly considered
one OF the most important Bureaus OF
the Government and one that will con-
tinue to grow in popular favor.
There is dismay among the aged and
incapable clerks of the Navy Depart
ment, for Secretary Whitney an
nounces his purpose to overhaul the
whole force and clean out all the
barnacles and dead timber. The
Secretary seems to think that this
course, however, unpopular with those
affected, is essential to the successful
administration OF his trust.
Recent developements convince
ME that the Republicans are i'm
pressed with the idea that their only
hope of success irl 1883 is to agitate
sectional issues and intlame the mind
OF the people of the North with the
old war feeling. The first step in
this end is the Dependent Pension
Bill, the next, its echo. the battle
flag howl, and the third will be the
conversion of the Grand Army of
the Republic into partisan Repub-
ican organization, to be rounded up
by the nomination of Il military can
didate, or a bloody-shirt shrieker.
The estimated receipts and dis
bursements of the Government in
July and August show that there will
be decrease rather than an increase
OF the Treasury surplus during that
time. After providing for $19,716,-
ooO, of the 3 per cent. bonds due July
LIST, the surplus will be about $37 yOOO,- :